Apple Pie Granola

I used Jesseca's Pumpkin Pie Granola as a template for making this apple pie granola. I'm still tweaking it a bit, but it shows promise.

Apple Pie Granola

Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 t cinnamon I'm going to try this with 1 teaspoon next time
1 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts I used sliced almonds
1/2 cup Bare Baked apple chips smashed into smaller pieces again, I might do more here
1/4 cup coconut oil I used canola oil
1/3 cup honey I did 1/4 c and that was sweet enough for me (mostly because I didn't want to dirty another measuring cup)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup applesauce I'm thinking of trying this with apple butter next time or perhaps 3/4 c of applesauce instead of 1/2 c

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment and set aside.

Whisk together the oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, almonds, and pecans in a large mixing bowl.
Microwave the coconut oil and honey for just a few seconds in a small separate bowl until liquid. Whisk in your vanilla and applesauce. Ok, I didn't read this closely. Honestly, I put everything in the same bowl at once. I did do a lot of stirring because I worried that I wouldn't spread the flavors evenly, but I haven't had a problem doing it this way.

Gently stir your wet ingredients into the dry until fully incorporated. Spread onto your prepared baking tray in an even layer.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown making sure to stir once halfway through baking. Allow to cool completely on the baking tray before enjoying. I added the baked apple chips after baking and cooling. I really wanted to keep the crunch of the apple chips, and I worried about burning them if I baked them with everything else.

Recipe Notes
For a more clump filled granola make sure you keep the granola in a thicker layer. You may need to increase baking time by 10-15 minutes

Pumpkin Spice Granola

About a year ago, I wrote a book review about Cast Iron Kitchen by Jesseca Hallows, which introduced me to her website, One Sweet Appetite. I have loved making granola ever since Alton Brown introduced me to it, but I really appreciate Jesseca's innovative flavors (LOVE her banana bread granola!) and have begun using the Pumpkin Pie granola template for other flavor experiments like blueberry lemon and apple pie.

Pumpkin Pie Granola

Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup coconut oil I used canola oil
1/3 cup honey I did 1/4 c and that was sweet enough for me (mostly because I didn't want to dirty another measuring cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment and set aside.

Whisk together the oats, brown sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and pecans in a large mixing bowl.
Microwave the coconut oil and honey for just a few seconds in a small separate bowl until liquid. Whisk in your vanilla and pumpkin puree.

Gently stir your wet ingredients into the dry until fully incorporated. Spread onto your prepared baking tray in an even layer.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown making sure to stir once halfway through baking. Allow to cool completely on the baking tray before enjoying. I'm not sure why, but this time I had to bake it for over an hour.

Recipe Notes
For a more clump filled granola make sure you keep the granola in a thicker layer. You may need to increase baking time by 10-15 minutes

Cilantro Lime Veggie Dip

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Yesterday, we celebrated Asher's birthday, and I wanted to do a veggie tray. Veggie dips that come with the veggie tray tend to be yucky, but I only have one dip that I love. It's Ina Garten's Pan Fried Onion Dip. It's delicious and takes forever, and well, I didn't really plan on a veggie tray until about 3 hours before the party.

I consulted a few favorite blogger cooks and my Better Homes and Garden Cook Book and came up with this. 

Cilantro Lime Veggie Dip
Emily Clyde Curtis
about 2 cups

1 brick softened cream cheese (mine was a low-fat greek yogurt cream cheese)
1 cup sour cream
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
2 scallions, finely choppes
1 lime, zested and juiced
handful (approximately 1/3 cup chopped) cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Mix all together, adjust lime, salt and garlic according to taste.
 

Basic Rich Crackers

These are the basic crackers I make on a pretty regular basis for our family. They are made with four simple ingredients: butter, yogurt, flour, and salt. You combine, cover and soak overnight, then roll them out in the morning, cut and bake them. Simple as that, and you get all the benefit of whole foods, properly prepared.

To start with, freshly ground flour that has been soaked to rid it of phytic acid is very healthy. Not to mention the vitamin K2 from the butter if it is grass-fed, and the probiotics found in good quality whole milk yogurt. Even the salt is beneficial if you choose a high quality salt full of trace minerals, such as Celtic sea salt.

I like to use Kerrygold Irish Butter from Trader Joe's because it is the best price I have found. I also get my yogurt from Trader Joe's, or I make my own from whole raw milk. I haven't tried it yet, but since I have milk kefir around, I wonder if I could use that in place of the yogurt in this recipe.

They are delicious with raw cheese and organ meat sausage (like Braunschweiger, yum!). But enjoyed all by themselves they are still lovely. They are very similar to Cheez-its I think.

Basic Rich Crackers

1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3 1/2 cups freshly ground whole grain flour (I have used spelt and whole red winter wheat, both with good success)
2 teaspoons sea salt

1. Cream yogurt and butter together. Add flour and salt and stir to combine.
2. Cover with a towel and a plate, find a warm place to soak 12-24 hours (or overnight).
3. After the soaking period, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. At this point you can add any herbs, cheeses, or spices to your dough you might like to try. I have only attempted cracked pepper and parmesan cheese, but it was delicious! The possibilities are endless, but the crackers are truly delicious all on their own. Don't feel you need this step, it is optional.
5. Use white flour, sprouted flour, or arrowroot powder (because each of these options have no phytic acid) to roll your dough out very thin. Use a pastry or pizza cutter to cut dough into small squares or rectangles.
6. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. You can put the crackers fairly close to each other, they do not spread. You can prick with a fork, but I have not seen much of a need for it.
7. Bake 8-12 minutes, checking every minute or so after 8 minutes have gone by to make sure they do not overbrown. You know the crackers are done when they are slightly brown on the edges and the middles of the crackers look drier.
8. Remove from baking sheet to cooling racks immediately, but be gentle so they do not break. Enjoy!

Chewy Granola Bars

In honor of the 200th post on this blog, I wanted to publish this delicious, healthy snack that I just made for my family. I've been tired of sending my first grader with PB & J, a cup of water, and a small tub of applesauce for lunch. He needed an extra snack so tonight I tried this.

1 cup packed brown sugar 2/3 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup corn syrup or honey 1/2 cup butter, melted 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups quick-cooking oats (I used whole oats)

1/2 cup sunflower kernels 1/2 cup raisins 6 tablespoons toasted wheat germ (or raw) 2 tablespoon sesame seeds 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or raisins)

Directions:

1.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Stir in the oats, sunflower kernels, raisins, wheat germ and sesame seeds. Fold in chocolate chips. (I thought they would have been just as delicious w/o the chocolate chips, and I am a HUGE chocolate fan).

2.

Press into an jelly roll pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until set and edges are browned. Cool completely on a wire rack (overnight, if possible). Cut into bars. Other options include adding 1/4 C egg whites for more protein, adding nuts instead of seeds, and replacing the chocolate chips with other dried fruit, like craisins. You could also use flax seed instead of wheat germ. Some have used light olive oil instead of butter. There are a lot of combinations, but this recipe is so good I couldn't stop eating the mix raw as I was making it. Delicious! Credits, although I doubled the recipe. Who only wants an 8 x 8 pan? Crazy, I say!